Recently, as the interest in golf increases, a virtual golf simulation system, referred to as a so-called “screen golf”, has emerged. The virtual golf simulation system provides a virtual reality which makes an indoor user feel as if he or she actually plays a golf game on a golf course.
Well known golf simulation systems generally include a screen golf booth with a space of a predetermined size. Images provided by the golf simulation system are projected on a screen provided in front of the booth. Accordingly, when a golfer hits a ball toward the screen, a golf ball image is projected on the screen such that the golfer can enjoy a virtual reality with the projected image.
The above-described screen golf system generally employs a golf ball automatic supply device for the purpose of convenience of golfers. The golf ball automatic supply device enables to supply golf balls one by one to a designated hitting position and, at the same time, to collect the golf balls flight by hitting to be supplied to a tee box.
Various types of conventional golf ball automatic supply devices have been developed and used in practice. Examples thereof include golf ball supply devices disclosed in Korean Patent No. 0953356 and Korean Patent No. 0506155. The golf ball supply devices disclosed in the prior art literatures have different configurations. However, their technical problems are the same in that they are configured to supply golf balls collected in one place to a designated hitting position one by one.
As such, the conventional golf ball automatic supply devices are configured to supply golf balls collected in one place to a designated hitting position one by one. However, most of various other types of conventional golf ball supply devices including the above prior arts disclosed in the above-mentioned literatures are located around the floor where the ball is placed due to the structural nature of such devices.
For example, in the case of a tee box for a right-handed golfer, the golf ball supply device is located opposite to the tee box with respect to a central mat, on which the golf ball is placed, to supply the golf ball to a designated position. That is, most of the conventional golf ball supply devices are installed opposite to the tee box where a golfer is positioned with respect to the central mat where the ball is placed.
Accordingly, in the case of most of the conventional screen golf systems, the tee box is limited to left or right according to either a left-handed golfer or a right-handed golfer. In other words, the right-handed golfer can enjoy the screen golf only in a space where the tee box for the right-handed golfer is provided, and the left-handed golfer can enjoy the screen golf only in a space where the tee box for the left-handed golfer is provided, which is problematic.
Thus, a tee box structure that can be used by both left-handed and right handed golfers in a single space is required to solve this problem, but the structure of the above-mentioned golf ball supply device for supplying the ball to a designated hitting position should be first improved to implement the above-described tee box structure.